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Hipcamp’s Guide to Helpful Campground Reviews and Photos

How to create helpful campground reviews on Hipcamp

Hipcamp was created to make it easier to search, and book campsites. To be the most comprehensive resource for camping, we lean on the Hipcamp community (you!) to contribute quality, helpful photos, recommendations and reviews of the places you’ve camped.

Follow these simple guidelines, and not only will you earn the ranks as a top community member by earning points over time, you’ll also be entered to win awesome outdoor prizes through the Endless Summer Challenge, through November 25, 2018. The search for the perfect campsite wouldn’t be possible without your help.

Here’s the recipe:

Recommending where you’ve been

Writing helpful reviews

Uploading useful photos

1. Recommending where you’ve been

At the top of each campground page, you’ll find a thumbs-up, a “meh” face, and a thumbs-down. This is one way to create your review of a campground. Once you click on the emoji that matches the experience you had at the campground, you will be prompted to leave a written review and upload photos to complete your review. Read more below on how to complete a helpful written review, and upload useful photos.

2. Writing helpful reviews

Length

The more detailed, the better. We recommend a minimum of three sentences, and not much longer than a few paragraphs if you’re really feeling it. That being said, if you can squeeze it all into one sentence, awesome.

The experience

Put yourself in the shoes of a potential future camper: what would you have found useful?

List the things that you found noteworthy, such as:

Amenities you enjoyed

Nearby attractions

Features of the property you liked

Camp host interaction

Helpful tips

Be honest about your experience and setting the proper expectations for future campers. We’ve seen great constructive reviews of campsites that may not have been the right fit for the camper leaving the review, but they recognize it could be an awesome spot for a different type of camper.

Here’s an example:

“Though I typically prefer more secluded camping, I can see this being a great option for so many types of campers who are looking for access to amenities like clean showers and bathrooms, hookups, garbage disposal and more. The campground was a little less private than I was expecting, make sure to look through all of the photos! This is a local private owned and operated campground.” From Peaceful Camping, Umpqua’s Last Resort

3. Uploading useful photos

To provide a true lay-of-the-land and helpful photos of a campground, we suggest uploading these 5 photos after each trip:

An overall, zoomed-out view of the Hipcamp

The area where you sleep

Cool features on the property; like a creek, for example!

Landscape surrounding the property

Amenities or Activities available at the Hipcamp

Here are some examples:

1. An overall, zoomed-out view of the Hipcamp

2. The area where you sleep

3. Cool features on the property

4. Landscape surrounding the property

5. Amenities or activities available at the Hipcamp

Now that you’ve got the goods, here are some do’s and don’ts, straight from Hipcamp’s Visual Content Specialist, Kendall:

Avoid using photo editing apps like Huji Cam that put a vintage-looking filter on your photos—keep it natural.

We strongly prefer landscape (horizontal) oriented photos. Turn that phone to the side 🙂

The brighter the better! Avoid taking photos at night.

Easy enough, right? Check out the below examples, upvoted as helpful by the community to inspire your next review: